Advocate Editorial Board opinion: Thank you for supporting next generation at livestock show

By By the Advocate Editorial Board
March 12, 2014 at 5:05 p.m.Updated March 11, 2014 at 10:12 p.m.

The arena is closed, the pens are broken down, and the animals have been sold. The Victoria Livestock Show has come and gone, and once again, students from across the county amazed us with the results of their hard work and dedication.

Every year, students work to raise livestock including chickens, rabbits, lambs, goats, hogs, heifers and steers and bring them to the Victoria Community Center for a chance to earn the coveted titles of grand or reserve champion and make thousands of dollars in the auction.

In 2013, the auction broke a record and brought in $623,000 for the students, including more than $100,000 just for the grand and reserve champion animals. This year, the results were not record-breaking, but the preliminary numbers still showed students bringing in $576,100 in the auction, with thousands more expected to come in through add-ons. On the night of the auction, $162,085 was contributed to students at the add-on table, said Billie Hessler, auction chairwoman, and add-ons can still be contributed until Monday by emailing Hessler at vlsauction@yahoo.com.

It was a little disappointing to see the preliminary numbers fall short of previous years, but we understand that it is hard and sometimes not possible to break a record every year. At this year's auction, a few of the top bidders from previous years were unable to attend because of scheduling conflicts, Hessler said in a previous article. But despite the lower numbers, the auction still brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars for the students, which many will put toward college funds or other plans for the future.

We applaud all of the people who helped create another successful year for the Victoria Livestock Show. From the judges and volunteers to the students who worked throughout the year to raise their animals and the organizers who pulled it all together, thank you all for bringing another great livestock show to Victoria County. The event is highly anticipated every year, and it never disappoints.

Thank you for giving our community a chance to come out and learn about livestock and the agriculture industry and for inspiring the next generation to learn about and pursue careers in agriculture. We were sad to see it end, but now we are looking forward to next year's show.

This editorial reflects the views of the Victoria Advocate's editorial board.